Improvement in instruments for indicating the depth of water in cisterns



H. L. BREVOOR. Pressure Gage.

Patented July 7, 1863.

N, PETERS. mwmumo n m. m r-" 1m no.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

H. L. BREVOOB, OF BROOKLYN, NETV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN INSTRUMENTS FOR INDICATING THE DEPTH OF WATER lNCISTERNS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39, 5 LI, dated July 7,1863.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY L. BREVOOR, of the city of Brooklyn, in thecounty of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Instruments for Indicating the Depth of Tater in Shipsand other Vessels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a front view of an instrument with my improvement. Fig. 2 isa vertical section of the same parallel with Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures.

My invention relates to instruments for indicating the depth of thebilge-water in a ship or other vessel, or of the water in a tank orother reservoir, by the agency of the pressui e of the column of suchwater actingthrough the medium of air.

In carrying out my invention I use a series of flexible sectional orannular diaphragms, such as are used in the bilge and leakage indFcatorwhich constitutes the subject-matter of Letters Patent No.15,624,granted to It. Shaler and since assigned to myself and L. G. Singleton.In that indicator the dia- -hragms are arranged in a chamber outside ofthe box which contains the mechanism for operating the index.

My invention consists in the arrangement of the diaphragms within thesaid box and in combination with a spring, whereby the instrument ismade of more compact form and more certain in its operation.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to de scribe it with reference to the drawings.

A is a cylindrical box containing all the moving parts of the indicator,and having in front a circular scale or dial graduated to represent feetand inches, or other measurements. a is a stationary horizontal platearranged near the bottom of the box A, and secured within or formingpart of the said box, and serving as the foundation for the series offlexible diapbragms b b b, of india-rubber or other suitable material,which is impervious to air. These diaphragms, with the exception of thetop one, are all of annular form. The lowest of the said diaphragms issecured closely to the plate a, and the others are cemented or otherwisesecured together by their inner and outer edges alternately, as shown inFig. 2, in such manner as to make tlieirjoints perfectly tight, and thetop diaphragm is made without an opening. The dia iihragms are thus madeto form an expanding air-chamber, O, substantially like a circularbellows. The top diaphragm,b,hassecured toittheuprighttoothed rack c,which works in a guide attached to a fixed upright plate, (I, and gearswith a pinion, 0', on the spindle f, which carries the index g. Theplate d, which is secured to the back of the box by two studs, h h,serves also to contain one of the bearings of the indexspindle and forthe attachment of a spiral spring, 1', which is coiled around andconnected with the upper part of the rack c, for the purpose of pressingdown the said rack and thereby turning back the index toward thezero-point of the circular scale.

j is a short metal pipe screwed tightly into the plate a and protrudingthrough the bottom of the box A for the attachmentof a piece ofindia-rubber or other flexible tubing, k,to lead to the hold ofthevessel or other place in which the depth of water is to be indicated.This piece of tubing may be loaded or otherwise secured at its lower endto keep its mouth as close as possible to the bottom of the vessel orother place which contains the water.

The instrument, when used as a bilge or leakage indicator for ships orother vessels, may be placed in the captains cabin, the engine-room, orany other convenient place where it may be in view of a proper officer,and when used for any other purpose may be arranged in any place thatmay be most suitable, irrespective of its distance from the water whosedepth is to be indicated. Its operation is as follows The pressure ofthe column of water outside of the tube k acting upon the air within thesaid tube and within the pipe j and chamber 0 causes the expansion ofthe said chamber and the rising of the diaphragm b, and thereby causesthe rack 0 to be pushed upward and to produce, by its action on thepinion, the movement of the index in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 1, and by a proper graduation of the scale the index is caused toshow the depth of water upon it. As the Water rises or its depthincreases the pressure of its column increases and by itsabove-described action produces a further movement of the index in thesame direction; but as the water falls or its depth diminishes itspressure he comes less and the spring i overcomes the pressure of theair in the diaphragm and depresses the rack c, and so produces amovement of the index in the opposite direction. is found in practice tobe' very necessary, as it is found impracticable to make the diaphragmsb b b constitute springs, as was the ntention in Shalers apparatus.Instead of This spring .he spiral spring 2, a volute spring arranged 11an upright position may be applied.

\Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

lhe arrangement of the flexible diaphragms b I) b to form an expandingchamber within the box A, and in combination with a spring, z,substantially as herein specified.

WVitnesses: H. L. BREVOOR.

M. S. PARTRIDGE, DANIEL ROBERTSON.

